ORIGIN

Seller Submission: 1971 Brabham BT-35

Says the seller: “This car is fun to drive and ready for vintage competition and is accepted at tracks by all sanctioning groups throughout the US. Here’s a chance to own one of the most beautiful racing cars from the golden age of motor racing.”

1971 Brabham BT-35

Location:

Monterey, California

VIN:

Cahssis # 44 AM # 7164

Chassis mileage:

approx. 900 since rebuild

Engine type:

Cosworth Ford FVA 1600 cc. with Approx 500 miles since rebuild miles

How long have you had the car? Present owner has had the car for 5 years and races it in 8 to 10 events per year on the west coast.

Describe the body condition: Body, Chassis, Suspension and wheels all in excellent condition. New paint in 2012. Chassis was stripped, inspected and powder coated in 2006.

Describe the mechanical condition: Complete engine rebuild with new head in 2012.Gearbox rebuild in 2011. All new period correct Oetiker lines and fittings installed in 2011.

Included documentation: All invoices, receipts, dyno sheets and vendor information are included.

What makes this car special? One of the last tube frame formula cars designed by Ron Tauranac and built by Brabham in the early 70’s.

As an owner of a ’69 Winkelmann Formula B car and a Spec Miata race car, I can vouch for everything that you guys are saying on this thread. The B car was my first race car (ever!). I bought the Spec Miata to get seat time. The B car takes cubic dollars compared to the Miata – and it is worth every last penny!

Just stole a half-hour perusing this car’s photo gallery on a hi-rez Mac. My aluminium AN wrench set got all warm and fuzzy looking @ the Brabham plumbing, and me palms got berry sweaty imagining a stint @ the wheel.

Sophie, I was stunned that a Gurney Eagle V12 was just auctioned. I forget where; but it was during the January sales I think. I may still have the link. I didn’t think any were in private hands. I agree, it’s probably the most beautiful open-wheel racer ever made.

The further you get from the center of the diameter of the sway bar, the more distance the metal has to move/stretch, when twisted. Just like using a longer torque wrench for more effort.

The more distance the metal has to move/stretch, the more it resists, just like bending a spring.

The center of the bar’s metal moves a very small distance, when twisted, so it does very little work. It is dead weight so it is worthwhile to remove it and slightly increase the diameter of the bar to make up for the small bit of work it does.

It’s like your first great love is walking by in front of your kitchen window. Never had the joy to take out a Brabham, but spend some time with a 1966 Gurney Eagle. Ever since that time I have been lost in love for a racer that simply is so out of league – for the same reasons some mentioned earlier above. Remembering to fit new fuel cells into it still gives me the shivers. Finicky doesn’t cut it. But your hands get cut. Plus, there were issues with the 12 cylinder – an engine so sweet when it runs. Now they sell for far beyond a Million and absent some fortunate events, the Gurney Eagle will remain the unfulfilled love of my life…

Interesting that the chassis is a ’71 and yet it is paired with an FVA motor. FVA was state of the art a few years earlier and by ’71, Ford had created the longer stroke 711 block which the Cosworth team had used to create the 1600 (and larger) BDA which is belt driven as opposed to the gear driven configuration of the FVA. I wonder how it ended up with this particular configuration? I recall they also had BDs built on the 701m Mexico block too which was from ’69 I think.

The asking price is a bargain compared with the BT-33 offered on the same sellers site at $850,000 US, must be gold plated. Check out the site, great cars for sale.

For anyone thinking this is a good car to start racing with, please pay attention to Billy, he’s got it right. A ‘V’ or a Ford is exciting enough, an Atlantic is like an F2 car, which is almost like a F1 car of the day. You are talking fastest lap times of the weekend at most events, until the modern day ground effect DSR’s at least.

This car is absolutely beautiful, the Vegher engine is as good as it gets but this is a rich mans vintage racing car, not for the faint of heart.

BTW a Lotus 7/Caterham on the track is as close to racing open wheel as you can get. Track days in mine is as much fun as I had vintage racing other cars.

I raced DP and C-sports, then switched to FF, the first time you see those wheels turning, well your heart jumps a bit, and then the first time you enter a turn wheel to wheel, you learn what the phrase “wheel to wheel” truly means; but they’re just a blast to drive in a point and shoot form, the cornering is unreal and you never realize how fast you’re going until you get your lap times. I had float bowl problems my first weekend and my 51 would cut out from fuel starvation in hard turns but it was still seconds faster than my 23 on the same course. This car has the added advantage of being beautiful too.

Back in the day I crewed for a guy who bought the first BT29 from Fred Opert to race in Formula B. Also a lovely car.

As I wasn’t 21 I had to wait for years to start…..then started racing Formula cars. Never ever raced a car with a roof so I guess my perspective is a little different and don’t see what all the fuss is about. Nothing wrong with NOT going flat out from the moment you sit in it, is there? You will get in the swing of things pretty soon. Just use your head – not literally.

“Oddly, the sway bar appears hollow – is this because the vehicle is so light it doesn’t need the heavy solid swaybar commonly found in a production car.”

I’m not an engineer or a physicist, so this is my “dumbed down” understanding, as explained to me by someone who was both. Basically, 90% or so of the stiffness of the sway bar comes from the outer skin of the bar. The solid center is really only there to support the skin, and doesn’t really add much, if any, stiffness. On a formula car like this, that weight matters, so a hollow bar makes sense. To make it stiffer, you would increase the diameter, but not the wall thickness. I hope that makes sense.

Big agreement with Billy dH & Tom 1200. Soft hands, smoothness and fast judgment are rewarded, qualities that require plenty of seat time. Trying to muscle one around won’t produce anything but frustration (or worse), especially so for FA or F5000 . As someone that only runs a few events per year, tin-tops are more my “skill” level and a bunch easier to live with. But time in open wheelers is some of my most memorable.

Thankfully there are people who have the skills, time and money devoted to bringing these to vintage events, paddocks are richer for it.

“Also, one of the photos shows a clear hose connection coming out of a piece of the frame – what fluid would this be for?”

It was a common technique at the time to use hollow frame tubes as a conduit for coolant to move from the front radiator to the rear engine. 40 years later the tubes would have substantial corrosion and strength compromise unless they had been replaced.

Vintage racing at this level is substantially more dangerous, complicated and expensive than with typical production cars like Alfas, MGs, TRs etc. It is not necessarily”better,” especially if close competition is the measure.

Lets see, SMC headlights and drive it on the street. There its said. Its what everybody wants to do with it. HAHA . Great car but you better have some experience because when those big fat rear tires try to pass you on the left then you are just holding on.

Ah, for the days of chrome upper & lower radius rods, and dampers hanging out in the breeze…

billy de hulst and Tom1200 make very useful points; this may look cute and cuddly, but it’s not a good choice for anyone’s first racer. On a positive note, though, at least we’re getting to nearly a dozen comments before someone makes the usual silly “I’d drive it on the street” post.

I too have a love hate with open wheel / single seaters; love driving them hate owning them. I do not enjoy working on cars and they do need regular car and feeding…….I can afford the car and parts but paying someone else to wrench cuts into the budget in a big way At 1100 lbs and 200+ HP these are not for novices and are on the outer edge of most club racers skill set……….they are quite a step up from a formula ford. Having owned a single seater with similar power to weight ratio I’ll say for a good club racer they are not hard to drive it’s just that you arrive places a lot sooner, the car will go exactly where you place it……..whether you place it correctly or not and given the light touch required it’s a case of taking your time in a hurry.

Just out of curiosity, in one of the suspension photos it shows what I assume is a sway bar with a solid connection to the link. Oddly, the sway bar appears hollow – is this because the vehicle is so light it doesn’t need the heavy solid swaybar commonly found in a production car.

Also, one of the photos shows a clear hose connection coming out of a piece of the frame – what fluid would this be for?

I love the details in race car construction. That oil cooler is a thing of beauty.

To draw a comparison, the experience of driving an open wheeled formula car against the experience of racing a production car, was for me like the difference between a fighter plane and a heavy transport.

The formula car becomes an extension of your own body. It whispers gently. So, learn to pay attention and you are in for the ride of your life.

I don’t think anyone should drive this car if they are a novice. Try a production car first, then a Formula Ford. Get LOTS of practice. This Brabham will be waiting for you.

@Nigel….nothing compares to an open wheel car like this…just for the raw sense of speed and feeling… these are a love/hate relationship for me…. I LOVE them….they HATE me…. When I wanted to get my competition license waaaay back in the day…I did a stint in open wheel cars with a reputable school…. almost soiled myself…..LOL did my thing….got my license….and swore I’d never get in one again….

Ineffably beauteous little formula car. So meticulously constructed. I’d be honored just to lay wrenches on it. “OK Nigel, we want you to replace front oil cooler, and oh yeh, can you do new rad hoses, too?!”

Never ever driven an open-wheeled car, how could this one not be big dirty fun?

When I win the lottery, I’m buying a Brabham, prefer a BT29, but I’d take this 35. What a beatiful machine. Another similar car (I think it was a 29) won all the races at Pacific Raceways last July at the SOVREN event. Super fast car. Just perfect. Only thing better would be a Lotus 49, but who can drive one of those effectively?